Trouser stretcher



May 26,1925,

J. F. PALMER TROUSER STRETCHER Filed April 50, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 hveniar r zemm A May 26,1925.

J. F. PALMER .TROUSER SFITRETCHER Filed April 50, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllll Patented May 26, 1925. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FORBES PALMER, OF CLAPHAM, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO STEECHANPRES TROUSER APPLIANCE COMPANY LIMITED, 013

GHEAPSIDE, LONDON, ENGLAND.

TROUSER STR'ETCHER.

Application filed April 30, 1923. Serial No. 635,687.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Forums PALMER, a subject of the King of Great'Britain, residing at Clapham, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trouser Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trouser stretchers.

Heretofore it has been proposed to construct a trouser stretcher comprising a convex surface over which the garment may be laid lengthwise, and means for clamp: ing a garment at each end, one of said clamping means being movable from the surface so that after a garment has been clamped at each end itv can be stretched,

the movable clamp being associated with a pawl device for preventing the undesired return movement tending to occur by reason of the tension applied to the garment;

In constructions according to the present invention a convex surface is provided at each end with a clamping member, having a complementary member in the form a roller mounted in fixed bearings on the stretcher frame, the clamping members being movable about the rollers in a direction away from the surface so that subse quently to clamping a garment at each end of the surface a simultaneous stretching movement may be effected at each end by an operator leaning over the stretcher and applying an outward and downward movement to each hinged member.

Each clamping member is preferably also hiugedly mounted at the side of the surface, so that they can be lifted up there-' from to facilitate placing a folded garment on the stretcher and then returned to the garment for clamping purposes, whereon the aforesaid stretcher movement away from the surface may be effected.

Each clan'iping member may be in the form of a roller mounted in supports fixed to the axis of the first mentioned roller, one of said supports being articulated so that the clamping roller may be tilted up about the axis of articulation to enable a garment to be easily placed over the stretcher. I

The clamping rollers are preferably connected to a pressing batten adapted to overlie the convex surface, by flexible members which allow of simultaneous downward and outward movement of the clampingrollers.

Each flexible member connecting the clamping rollers to the pressing batten may be constituted by a ribbon-likespring, one end of which is fixed to a roller and the other clamped to the respective end of the pressing batten. Preferably a relatively narrow pressingbatten is disposed longitudinally at each side of the convex surface to provide an uncovered central area within which trouser seams will lie, and each clamping roller is provided with a pair of ribbon-like springs connected to the said battens. V

In the'accompanying drawings is illustrated by Way of examplea construction embodying the present invention, Figs. 1 and 2 showing the construction in elevation and plan respectively; Figs. 3 and 4 being sections on the lines 33 and 44 of Fig. 1; and Figs. 5 and 6 being details to an enlarged scale, hereinafter referred to.

' Referring to the drawings, the body of the stretcher comprises a convex surface 12 and side pieces 24 adapted to support the convex surface and provided with inturned portions 25, adapted to act as feet.

At each end of the stretcher body and between the side walls 24: is supported a roller carrying a ratchet device, which roller may be composite in nature and comprised, for example, by two short cylinders 26, between which is sandwiched a ratchet 27 the cylinders and the ratchet being fixed and mounted on a sleeve 28 so that they all rotate together. The outer end of each cylinder is carried by acbracket 29 fixed to the end of each side wall, the brackets preferably comprising a cup portion 30 adapted to spring into the adjacent end of the cylindrical members 26, the brackets 29 be- New suitably pivoted at each end-efthe stretcher body in'a'web or the like 34: is a pawl adapted to engage the respective ratchet wheel 27 and prevent undesired reverse rotation of the cylinders 26.

It will be noted that the brackets29 ,on one side of the stretcher are articulated as" indicated. by the numerah 42, so thatthe.

rollers 33 cases tilted, up about, the axis of articulation to facilltate plac1ng.a,,p,zu1

of. trousers on the. stretchers.

The cylinde'rs33.,areconnected to a press: ing; battei1,,36'by. aifl'exible connection providechhQ uieen the rollers .33 and the bat: e s;

To thisend there .issecnred .to the spindle at. each end Q, a spring of ribbon-like form. 37:, thespringBT being, of sucha length as; to extendgthrough the. roller,'- which is slotted, as shown at..38,' to overlie the cross battens 3.6, when the :spring is tin, the coiled position sho.wn, in;Fi 5,. thefree ends of;

the .springs being. secured, to the battens 36by plates, suchjas 39. Thisconstructi'on. allowsan uncollingf of. the, springs 37 ,when.

the rollers 1 33 are pressedtlownwardly and outii ardl so that. the connection between. the rollers and the battens 36 is maintained. The a connection between the spring and, the battens providedbythe.platesQBS) is of such, a'nature asto rigidly holdthe battens when the 1.'olle rs are. tilted. up about; their articulated brackets .29.

Preferably, however, asshowlr in, the drawings", I provide relatively narrow. battens 36 wliichraredisposed over, the. com ex surface sojas to leave, the central] area uncovered, within whielnthe seams of trousers. warns In use, after the t-rousers, have been laid over the. convex surface,and over. the. cylindricalJnembers 26, a-teach; end of the, stretcher, the top roller .33 will, be iop erated baclcto its normalposition withinitsbracla ets. Then the operator, can, by. standing over: the ,press] and. gripping the rollers 33,. give a; simultaneous downward and out ward movement to the rollers thereby auto-, matically, clampingthe garment betweenthe rollers and their "respective co o perating cylinders and at the same. time stretching the garment over the convex surface.

In the construction illustrated, additional feet members elQ are shown, which, are pivotedj to. each side, member 24. These; feet are approximately of U shapeand are pref' erablyprovidedwith a padded surface, such as 41:1. By swinging the feet down, the stretcher is raised higher than can be obtained by supporting it on the feet 25, while when the feet are not in use, they will be folded Within the sides 2&.

A stretcher made according to, the present invention can used forstretching a number of trousers at the same time. Instead, however, of placing the garments one on top of -the otherand-ag'ainstone another in the eraser-,ae is preferable to interpose between eaclr garment aplate ef -suitable materialand of dimensions equal or substantially equal to the convex surface of the stretcher,

It will be understood, however, that such plates could alsobe slightly shortenthan the convex. surfaee of the, stretcher and inerely laid in. between each. garment; so, thatfas each; fgarment. was superimposed and. stretched, the plate. interposed will be held; in. positien..

I claim! 1. A, trouser stretcher, comprising a; convex supporting surface, clamping means at, the respective. ends. of such surface. and adapted for, relatively. opposite movement. to, stretch, the, 1'2 1-rment, v and pressing means. overlying, the surface land connected to and; operated in the movement. of Q the clamping means. i

2.,A, trouser. stretchenhaving a. convex, supporting surface, ar frame, mounted for swinging movement; atea'eh end of such sur face, a ,lower roller; concentric with the axis of' sai d frame, and an; upper roller. mounted for bodily. movement toward and from: the; lower ,roller, and a v.joressin g strip carried by and operated in theinovement of. the. :upper. rollers.

A. trouser. stretcher havinga convex, supporting surface, a frame Imountedfor swinging at each. end of. suclrsinrface, a, lower, roller concentric with the axis of" saidlfi'ame;and an uppe r roller mountediir said frame for bodily movement toward. and, fromthe lower roller, a. pressing strip, and. a; spring eonnectin said strip with each of'the upper rollers; i i

4,, A; trouser, stretcher eomprising a con; vex supporting surface, pressing, stri ps over-. lying said, surface, clamping means at the respective ends ofthe surface, said. clamp ingmeans being. adapted for relatively out} ward movemepts to stret ch. the garment. clamped by said; means and. connections to, cause the movement. off thei clampin mean 5 to actuate the pressing strips,

5. A trouser. stretcher comprising a convex supporting surface, ,pressin strips overlying sa id ,.sur face,; clampingmeans, at. the respectiveend's of thes'urfade, said clamp ng means beinsadap edfor. relatively out.- w'ard movements to] stretch the garment, clamped by said means, and spring memhers connecting the clamping means and pressing strips to operate the latter in the n'iovement of the former.

6. A trouser stretcher, comprising a convex supporting surface, means mounted for swinging movement at each end of the surface and adapted to clamp the garment between them to stretch the garment in the swinging movement, a pressing strip arranged to overlie a portion of said surface adjacent each edge thereof, to thereby provide an uncovered central area of such surface, and means to operate said strips in the swinging movement of said clamping means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOI-IN FORBES PALMER. 

